Rahm Emanuel’s Tough Love Intervention for the Democratic Party

On with Kara Swisher

New York Magazine

News Commentary, News, Society & Culture

4.2 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 67 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After a three-year stint in Japan, Ambassador Rahm Emanuel is back in the States. And now that he's freed from diplomatic constraints, Rahm is bluntly telling fellow Democrats where they went wrong in 2024 and what they need now to do to salvage the brand. Kara and Rahm talk about Elon Musk’s takeover of the federal government; how Democrats should use legal challenges and procedural tactics to block President Trump’s agenda; and how they can rebuild their reputation by pivoting thematically to issues around education, quality of life, and the American Dream. They close with a rapid-fire assessment on global hotspots: China, Ukraine, and Gaza. This interview was recorded on Tuesday, February 18th. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram, TikTok and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think last time I saw you were mayor in Chicago at that Apple event.
0:04.0	You met my kids. One of them is now 6.5.
0:06.0	Six five?
0:07.0	Yeah, now one of them is the other 6. I know.
0:10.0	Lesbians have big kids. We need them.
0:12.0	Hi, everyone from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network.
0:26.2	This is on with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher.
0:29.2	President Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue to remake the federal government in their image,
0:33.9	which isn't a very good one, and the opposition party continues its search for an
0:38.3	effective response. So I want to talk to a Democrat who was a track record of winning and speaking
0:43.3	his mind. I'm speaking, of course, of the one and only Rahm Emanuel. I interviewed Ambassador
0:48.7	Emmanuel almost exactly a year ago. At the time, he was busy strengthening America's alliances with our Asian
0:54.9	allies as Japanese ambassador, and he seemed optimistic about President Biden's chances to win
0:59.6	reelection. A lot has changed in a year. Rom is back in Chicago. He briefly flirted and then
1:05.4	discarded the idea of running for DNC chair. He wrote a series of op-eds about what Democrats need to do to find
1:12.1	their way out of the political wilderness. And he joined CNN as a senior political and global
1:16.9	affairs commentator. Besides being Ambassador Japan, Rahm was the mayor of Chicago, White House
1:22.9	Chief of Staff, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and chair of the Democratic Congressional
1:27.7	Campaign Committee, just to name a few jobs. He is the kind of person who inspires passionate
1:32.5	defenders and also critics among fellow Democrats, but even his detractors will admit that
1:38.1	Rahm says exactly what he thinks, and he's never, ever boring. Our expert question today comes
1:43.7	from Amanda Littman, president and co-founder
	...

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